


Can we find unity through our love?

by Creativityx



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, F/F, Just the two of them arranged to be wed and learning to love each other in spite of that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26522545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creativityx/pseuds/Creativityx
Summary: Lilith and Mary are from conflicting nations. Their parents deciding that the unification of marrying their princesses to one another is acceptable.A process of growth in learning how to love each other in the face of the notion of arranged.
Relationships: Sister Lilith/Shotgun Mary (Warrior Nun)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Can we find unity through our love?

Her parents had informed her of the news. They needed to reconcile with their neighbouring kingdom. 

The war had gone on too long, _what better way than to reconcile then through marriage?_ Lilith loathed the idea. _Was she only good enough for marriage?_

She had spent years cultivating the arts, reaching for her dreams, telling her parents once, with a raw passion that she would create artworks worthy of lining the halls of even their finest castle, _they had told her that dream for a princess was foolish._

But still, she painted, piece by piece, _she took requests,_ could only accept them from the servants who all agreed to keep their silence. 

The paintings would remain a mystery to all but those who purchased them, _she wished she could sign every last one with a flourish._

'Do I have no choice in this matter? _Marriage?_ I am more than a wife I assure you.' Lilith had let out, hiding her desperation, _she didn't want to marry._

Her parents had remained firm in their stance, 'You little hobbies are _not worthy of your standing,_ remove them from your life and accept your place as this woman's wife.' 

Lilith had grit her teeth and bowed at her parents, 'Of _course,_ your majesties.' 

When she went to her room that night, _she couldn't paint,_ every touch of the brush to the canvas reminding her that _this could be the last time she was allowed it._

Weeks passed and the new lady, _her future wife,_ arrived at the castle. 

She hardly wanted to greet her, propriety be damned. She would not _bow_ to some woman, _from the kingdom they war with._ She had seen their tactics, the way they would fight and saw nothing but underhanded _cruelty._

Her parents entered her room at the hour of her arrival, 'You will _greet_ your future wife with _respect,_ you will not shame our family name with this _mess.'_

They gestured around her room at the paintings stacked against the wall, framed with whatever she could find. 

_Give up her passion for a woman?_ They were foolish if they thought she would.

Lilith shot them a look the moments their back were turned. She was not going to give up her passions, her dreams, to fall at the feet of a woman whose kingdom they had warred with before she had even been given life. 

Yet? She knew she _had no choice._ She rose to her feet off of her bed, ordered her clothing and hair into some semblance of a _princess_ and made haste to meet her _darling wife._ She stood at the gates to their castle and waited. 

Soon, the blackened carriage, with fine horses stopped in front of her. She waited for the coachmen to open it and reveal her _future,_ she hated to think that just beyond a carriage door was a _future_ at all. 

The door was opened without their intervention, _how improper she thought._

Out stepped the princess in a tunic and trousers, _strange,_ she couldn't help but notice that unlike the carriage and the coachmen's uniforms? Her clothing was _bright,_ full of life, a stark contrast to her kingdom. 

The woman stepped towards her before giving her the most _obnoxiously exaggerated bow,_ 'Your highness,' the woman let out, kissing her hand, 'It is a _pleasure_ to make your acquaintance.' 

Lilith could see that the woman thought it to be anything but a pleasure, _the mocking tone painfully noticeable._

Two could play this game of propriety she thought, and responded, 'The pleasure is all mine _dear fiancee,_ how I delight to be in your presence finally.' 

Her curtsy was perfect, holding her dress just so, and the challenging smile she put on her face directed only at her. 

The woman let go of her hand and shot her an unpleasant look, 'Mary. If you are to call me _anything,_ it's Mary.' 

There was a short moment of understanding in those words, _that perhaps Mary was just as displeased at the union as she was._

Lilith responded, an almost genuine smile gracing her face, 'Then I insist you call me Lilith.' 

With that, they entered the gates together and stepped towards the castle doors.

Their first evening together was nothing short of stifled. Her parents having them sit side-by-side at the dining table for their meal.

She knew nothing about this woman and was expected to _embrace her,_ embrace the one who would take away the one thing she had truly found passion in, just to be an idle wife.

Still, she was nothing if not the perfect princess, _the_ _perfect daughter._ She couldn’t disobey, knew the consequences would be the loss of her passion _that much sooner._

They sat together and spoke very few words for the past hour. It was only at the look in her mother’s eyes did she engage. 

She covered her displeasure as she spoke, ‘So,’ she paused, _wondering if she should call her Mary,_ knowing that her parents would use it as an excuse to push her further.

  
  
She couldn’t. 

‘So, _fiancee,_ I hear the castle grounds are lovely this season in your kingdom.’

  
  
It was meant to be meaningless, expecting this woman to have no interest in it, _end their conversation before Lilith was forced to continue to the charade._

Instead? A small smile graced Mary’s features as she turned slightly to face her, ‘They are _beautiful_ at this time of year, the flowers blooming, _it is a shame to leave it.’_

She spoke those words without malice, but Lilith would be a fool to ignore her training, ignore the subtleties of emotion, the way her brow furrowed and fingers clenched, _idle, meaningless chatter,_ just to fill the silence her parents had forced upon them. 

_But she almost wanted to help. To get her out of this situation,_ If only to get herself out of it.

‘Our gardens are _beautiful_ in the evening, I can give you a tour?’ She matched her question with a look in her eyes, pleading the other woman to understand what she had left unsaid.

She felt a hand on her own, pulling her from her seat, ‘If you would only indulge me with the beauty of your gardens under the moonlight, I would be satisfied.’

  
  
The words were distant, all they could afford, _praise, carefully chosen,_ filled with feeling and yet empty in their execution.

Still, Lilith couldn’t help but feel grateful, despite those words the woman understood at the very least that seeking freedom from these conversations was necessary.

_They had to keep that ruse._

Lilith realised that she needed to actually show Mary the gardens. They wandered through the castle, _in silence,_ before finally arriving at the gardens.

They need only to spend a few moments there for her parents to be satisfied, Lilith expected Mary to leave at the first chance.

Instead? She spoke, ‘This is nice, a charming garden.’ The words didn’t feel false this time, _as if Mary enjoyed it._

Lilith looked over to Mary, contemplative, ‘They are, some flowers only bloom in this season,’ she paused, was she really going to be nothing but a guide? No.

She took a steadying breath as she continued, ‘It makes them all the more worthy of being captured, _through paintings._ I _paint them._ ’

_She hadn’t meant to reveal that truth so early, but when she considered the notion of being with this woman for her life, inescapable as it was? She wanted her opinion early, her… displeasure early._

‘You paint?’ Mary responded, looking that much more open in her expression, hands moving as she spoke, _smiling?_

Lilith bundled some of her dress in her palm, trying to ease her nerves, ‘I do, paintings tell stories just as well as any book, _as any man.’_

She felt a hand on her shoulder, being pulled and turned to face Mary, ‘I’d like to see them, _it’d be nice if we didn’t hate each other, appreciative of the other’s wants.’_

Lilith felt a smile make its way onto her face, ‘I suppose we could, not hating you would be acceptable.’

  
  
The laughter Mary let out at her words made this trip well worth it. _If she was not shunned for her passions as her… wife,_ it may not be such an unbearable existence.

The days passed without much intrigue in the next couple of weeks. They would find themselves separated in their own studies mulling over their writings and the writings of others, _trying to work out how a princess is supposed to respond._

But, the longer Lilith stared at the page, the more frustrated she grew and knew she had no choice but to seek Mary out.

She knocked on the door, ‘Mary?’

‘Come in,’ Mary responded.

She entered to find the room in disarray, the woman’s hair a mess, her clothing crumpled and pages of writing in balls on the ground, ‘Is it going poorly?’ Lilith could only laugh out, she had never seen a princess act _like this._

‘What gave it away?’ Mary groaned out, running her hands through her hair before pushing the letters on the desk away from her.

‘There is a list of items that could describe your disarray here Mary,’ Lilith responded, not bothering to hide the loud laughter that started to pour out. _She thought she was doing badly but this? Is nothing short of a disaster._

Mary huffed, ‘Well my dear _fiancee,_ you could help me.’

Lilith controlled her laughter and admitted why she came, ‘I actually came here to get help from you, it seems neither of us knows what we’re doing.’

Mary turned in her chair at those words, ‘Neither of us huh?’ She frowned for a moment, ‘Neither of us…’

  
  
Lilith watched as Mary got up from her desk chair and drew near, reaching out for one of Lilith’s hands, _what is she doing she thought, but she didn’t pull her hand away._

‘I’m not really princessy you know,’ Lilith held back her retort at princessy, and let her continue, just this once, ‘I was trained to command our armies, _not write letters.’_

‘Command them against us,’ Lilith sighed, trying to pull her hand away.

Mary only squeezed that hand tighter, ‘Yes, I would have commanded them against you, _not anymore though,_ I want to see you live and thrive,’ Mary ran a thumb on Lilith’s hand as she spoke her words, ‘ _I don’t want to create a world without you in it,_ it’s strange but, I am glad that you are my arranged.’

  
  
Lilith took a long look at Mary and truly started to see her, the way she was _trying_ to be good, to be good enough.

She pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat at the desk, gesturing Mary to join her, ‘Shall we?’

  
  
Mary shot her a grateful smile and for the rest of the day, they work in companionable silence, guiding each other occasionally to find the right words. 

The next morning, Lilith couldn’t find Mary anywhere, so she took the chance to walk the grounds, having done days worth of writing when they had been together.

She took a slow pace, embracing the quiet comfort of existing on the castle grounds without responsibility weighing her heavily down.

It was when she crossed to the training grounds that she finally saw her. Mary, in her training uniform, sparring with one of the guards.

She found herself leaning against a wall, watching just out of view.

‘You’ve got this,’ Mary spoke kindly, ‘You’ve just got to shift your positioning like this.’ Lilith watched as she tapped the guard’s legs with her training sword, directing them into the best stance.

_She was impressive. But more than that? She was kind. Lilith had never thought that any person from that kingdom, certainly not a princess would show thoughtfulness to anyone from her own._

Mary soon noticed her, she was hardly trying to hide, _Mary was her fiancee, she could admire her._

‘Lilith, you been here for a while?’

Lilith ignored the slight heat that settled in her cheeks, _getting caught was different._

‘Just a few minutes, you fight well, lead well,’ Lilith commented, running her eyes over Mary and taking in her appearance. She had never liked to see disarray in people but with Mary, she hardly minded. 

‘I’ve got that at least.’

‘At least?’ 

Mary grimaced and Lilith could only wait for her to find the words, ‘ _At least,_ well, the kingdom is different to my own, the people too, but, we could learn to be with one another in this friendship,’ Mary’s face turning kinder as she moved to put her training weapon away. 

Lilith could only offer her a small smile. _Friendship. For now? That was enough._

The next time they saw each other, it was through a call away from their writings. He parents claiming that a dance that brings dignitaries from both kingdoms to watch them is _the only_ next step. 

It was Mary, _they would be fine,_ Lilith told herself those words on repeat, knowing that the act of truly being in love with Mary? Would be falsified. _She still knows so little about her._

Still, she put on her finest gown, knowing that Mary would wear anything but that. It was _restricted, confined,_ she could not deny how much she wished she was able to find the loosest of dresses and just paint. 

_Anything… she would paint anything._ But she knew the truth that if she were to paint, It would be _Mary._ She wanted to sit her just so, in her disorderly state and paint her. _Capture her forever._

Perhaps she had more feelings than just friendship, that Mary was more than just her arranged.

_She knew that the potentiality for more has never been more apparent than in those little moments they had shared together._

She met Mary on the dance floor, Mary with the crook of her arm leading her. Their words were stifled as they tried to work out what was considered _love to the masses._

The music began and they matched each other step-for-step, Mary leading as they spun around.

Mary spoke a whisper in her ear, ‘Surrounded by all these uptight dignitaries, _I can’t stand it.’_

Lilith let herself be dipped as she responded, ‘What else are we to do?’

She felt herself get pulled close, chest-to-chest as Mary laughed, ‘Disobey the system and leave this party, _why try to please them? They will never be satisfied with what we give.’_

Lilith huffed, ‘Disobey? _My parents would be furious, Mary how could I-’_

‘Do you ever relax?’ Mary responded twirling her once more as they weaved through the crowd.

‘How Mary? _I have painted but-’_ she sighed, ‘My parents cannot stand it, _how can I truly relax in it when there is nothing but fear of discovery?’_

Their dancing slowed, just swaying together without purpose, ‘We can always try, I can show you what I love and you, my _fiancee,_ can show me yours. I will sit at your side, a pillar of stability and _never take your passion away from you.’_

Lilith leant her head against Mary’s chest, _they had never been this close,_ ‘That’s an awfully large promise my lady, _are you sure you can keep it?’_

Mary hummed against her, having leant her head upon Lilith’s shoulder, ‘We’ll never know until we try.’

Soon after, the dance ended and they were forced to part ways, _to be princesses_ and mingle with all of the guests, dancing, conversing, _never revealing more than was necessary._ It was exhausting. 

She had hoped the night would end, knowing that the chances of being near Mary again were slim. That was when her parents decided to engage with her.

They remained silent for only a few moments before her mother started the conversation with nothing but cutting words, ‘Lily,’ _she spoke, and Lilith hated it, knew that when the name was used? It would be to hurt her._

‘You and your dear fiancee dance so well together and yet? _We have not seen a single kiss,’_ Her mother reached out to grab her shoulder with a firmness that showed her that her words were meant to hurt, _there was no gentleness to her touch._

_‘_ You should be providing the masses with their desires, _you are our representation of unity after all.’_

Lilith ignored the way her body tensed, the way her tears threatening to spill, ‘I hardly know anything about her, _this marriage is arranged,_ I will never forget that-’ she grit her teeth, ‘that you _saw me fit only for marriage.’_

She knew some tears we escaping, that Mary may not even want her _in that way,_ when she so desperately wanted her to, _it was arranged but loving Mary had started to come so naturally._

There were so many days of sitting together in the study, performing their duties at the side of one another, embracing in the strange comfort of existing together in spite of it all, but _love?_ That was so much more complex.

_She needed to leave. She would not expose herself here._

A sharp look shot at her mother and she was walking out of the room, ignoring the yells of ‘disobedient girl!’ _she hardly cared anymore._

She entered her bedroom and pulled her dress off, feeling a small satisfaction in the way it became a crinkled mess on the ground.

She changed and _for the first time,_ really looked at her art. _Mary. Mary… also Mary._ Her room was filled with portraits of Mary, sketched during training, during their letter writing moments, _it was all Mary._

She sobbed on her bed, head in her hands, _how could she be so foolish as to fall in love with her arranged, a woman who had spoken so often about how much she wished she was in her kingdom._

An hour passed and she felt it, _arms wrapped around her from behind._ She hadn’t even noticed the door being opened.

‘What’s on your mind, Lilith?’ She heard whispered.

‘Mary? I-’ Lilith panicked, trying to pull herself out of her arms, the last thing she needed was to admit everything here _and lose her._

But Mary only pulled her closer against her chest, turning her so they were facing one another, a hand on her chin, ‘Talk to me.’

She leant her head against Mary’s chest, trying to find the words, having none.

It was Mary who spoke instead, ‘we dance in this propriety, to be _perfect for them all,_ sometimes-’ she gestured around the room, at the paintings, _at the ones with her face on them,_ ‘We should be free, _I would be free with you.’_

‘You make this sound easy _Mary,_ there is no ease in our arrangement.’

‘There is an ease in knowing you,’ Mary spoke, _her voice tinted with nothing but kindness._

Lilith stared in Mary’s eyes searching for something, _that said she felt the same way,_ it was hard, all she could say was, ‘Thank you.’

Mary just smiled and looked around the room, before pointing at the canvas leaning against her wall, _the roses that filled the castle’s gardens._ It wasn’t her best work, she didn’t bother to try and sell it.

‘Can I have that?’ Mary asked. 

Lilith couldn’t contain her surprise, ‘That one? There are better one’s, I wouldn’t even sell it, _I certainly wouldn’t line the castle walls with it.’_

Mary just pulled back so they sat beside each other, looking at it, ‘Maybe, but? It reminds me of our first true meeting, in those gardens, I’d like to keep that memory for as long as I am able.’

‘It’s yours.’

Mary grinned at that, almost a bounce of excitement in the way she moved across the room to grab it.

‘Join me, tomorrow, for my training, I’ll train you,’ Mary let out.

‘Training? Why.’

‘You have shared a part of yourself with me, it is only fair that I offer you the same.’

‘I’ll be there.’

Mary nodded at that, lifting the canvas from the floor and exiting the room. Lilith could only watch her go, _admiring the woman who had managed to enter her life, her heart, so seamlessly._

The next morning, Lilith dressed down and snuck through the castle halls, _if her parents saw her dressed like this?_ They would be furious. She relished in delight at the thought.

She came to the training grounds to see Mary dressed much the same, two training swords in her hand.

Mary saw her arrival, reaching one arm out to offer the sword to Lilith, ‘Ready for our duel, my lady?’

Lilith let out a bright laugh, it had been so long since she could laugh openly, ‘Of course, my lady.’

They began their match, Mary teaching her the basic techniques. How to block, how to hit, how to find your opponents weakness.

By mid-match, Lilith had become rather adept at it, and soon Lilith had found Mary’s weakness, _a princess ought to know how to observe._

She landed her hit and took Mary down, swiping her legs from beneath her. Mary looked shocked, _in awe,_ ‘Lily, you are impressive, why waste all your time in those dresses, wooing the crowd, _when you are so capable here?'_

‘My parents would never allow it,’ Lilith responded, curt, _it always came back to her parents, she couldn’t shake her fear at their disapproval._

‘Your wife would, is that not enough?’

‘My wife?’ Lilith questioned, _she wasn’t truly-?_

‘Yes. I have contemplated it often in my study, in the halls, when I am training,’ Mary sighed out, ‘We may be arranged but I do not tire in your company, in your passion, I would court you in a way fitting of a princess if you would only allow me your hand.’

Mary had moved, in those dirtied clothes from their training, her hair a mess, onto one knee. Her hands reaching for Lilith’s own as she asked.

Lilith could not help the heat the graced her cheeks at the proclamation responding, ‘If you would only have me, _the princess afraid of her parent’s words,_ I would be steadfast in any _love_ I could offer you.’

Mary immediately rose from her knee to pull Lilith into her arms, ‘I would have you for this life, our lives, embracing your love and providing it in equal amounts.’ 

They were pulled apart by a call for both of them to return to their duties in separate ways, Mary training some more of their knights and Lilith, _always returning to her correspondence._

It didn’t bother her that much, just knowing that _arranged,_ no longer fit their relationship was enough. Just before they parted, Mary placed a kiss on her cheek and whispered, ‘Meet me in the gardens under the moonlight.’

When nightfall came, Lilith again dressed down and snuck through the halls. _This time she was without doubt in her purpose._

Like they had so long ago, they stood side by side in the gardens and just walked. Mary grabbed one of Lilith’s hands in her own, playfully swinging it as they walked, Lilith rolled her eyes but let her do as she wished.

_They reached a bench and sat down._

Mary tilted her head up to gaze and whatever stars were available for view as she spoke, ‘It had been a difficult time for us both.’

Lilith frowned, the purpose of Mary’s words unclear to her. _She could only squeeze the hand she held in support._

Mary tilted her head to offer her a smile, ‘I had not expected much from our arrangement, my only wish a life free from the torment of an unwilling or angered wife.’

‘You have shown me that you’re neither, _A shining light,_ a star? We have not yet spent more than idle hours together but _I love you,_ I know this as my truth.’

Lilith felt the way her smile grew, _to be loved, what a wonderful thing,_ ‘As I have grown to love you Mary, clear in my heart, in my paintings, I think of you and want to remain in your life.’

Lilith hadn’t expected Mary’s next words, ‘Can I kiss you?’

She nodded her head.

Their lips met in a soothing embrace, each caress familiar as if they had done it so many times before. It was what Lilith had dreamed of when she thought of being loved. 

She sighed into the kiss and perhaps sighed a little louder when the split apart.

Mary pressed their foreheads together as she pulled back, ‘ _You have become my future, my Lily.’_

They spent hours in that garden in each other’s embrace contemplating that future. Mary talking about how she would ensure that every last one of Lilith’s paintings lined the halls. Lilith raising that Mary could become head of the guard.

_The both of them thrilling in the idea of a future more than just the two of them, a child, or two, who they could show love to and promote unity between their nations through that love._

**Author's Note:**

> A short exploration of it, this AU has so much potential to grow.


End file.
